Exploring Saint Paul's historic district

If you’re visiting Cathedral Hill B&B through Sept. 5, Labor Day, and you like animals, rides, exhibitions, and great food, give the Minnesota State Fair a go. We’re pretty proud of it. We’ve got a few of the Fair’s main attractions highlighted below, but there’s a lot more to see and do in the Fair’s 320 acre spread. So bring your walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, and enthusiasm!

Food is another big State Fair draw. The list of new foods is eagerly awaited every year, and at least one of them is always on-a-stick. Offerings range from the all-you-can-drink-milk-for-$2 to classic pronto pups and mini donuts to fresh ice cream and baked goods to sit-down restaurant fare. Mmmm

As a largely agricultural state, the Minnesota State Fair is riddled with animals, farm equipment, and produce. Farmers from all over the state bring their animals in to compete for prizes in size, condition, conformation, and abilities. You can tour the barns and see the prize livestock, or watch the shows and competitions in the ring. You also don’t want to miss the Miracle of Birth Center.

Some of the agricultural exhibits are a little more unusual. The butter sculptures include portraits of State Fair Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her court, as well as other subjects. Watch a time lapse video of their creation, and see the completed statues and watch live carving in the Dairy Building.

Crop Art is art made from seeds and other agricultural materials meticulously glued to a foundation to create detailed images. It’s quite a sight to see in the Agriculture Horticulture Building.

The State Fair also celebrates other Creative Activities, including needlework, canning and baking (which is look-don’t-taste, unfortunately), quilting, woodworking, stained glass, and other hand work. This may sound not-so-interesting, but the quality of work is amazing, and the types of displays are only limited by the maker’s imagination. Some of it is incredible, and, frankly, hard to believe. Find it all in the Creative Activities Building.

But it’s not all Crop Art and Creative Activities. There’s also an entire building dedicated to the juried Fine Arts competition, including drawing and painting, sculpture, textiles, and photography. Enjoy creative expressions from artists all over Minnesota. Many of the works displayed are for sale.

The Fair’s website is the place to go for more information about the Great Minnesota Get Together (and there is an app for that), including ticket information and park & ride. We’d recommend busing part or all of the way, as parking is challenging, to say the least. The Fair is two buses away from the B&B.